Richard Galliano

Richard Galliano / Nino Rota 4764615

. . . the mix is certainly tempting ¿ Nino Rota's timeless movie themes interpreted by an elite international jazz quintet featuring Dave Douglas on trumpet, John Surman on reeds, Boris Kozlov on bass and Clarence Penn on drums . . . The group's jazz energies make the biggest difference in the engine-room, with the superb Kozlov and Penn applying circus-music strutting, 1950s Miles Davis swing-groove hipness, brooding drama and New Orleans funeral-march rhythms as needed. Douglas's brassy, slewing lines whirl across "La Strada-Tema" and he and Surman then switch into 50s Miles Davies mode over Penn's rimshots ¿ with the saxophonist probably delivering his most straight-ahead recording in decades. "La Strada Processione" is a Carla Bley-style dirge; "The Godfather Love Theme" is exquisitely played by Galliano against only a bass commentary; Surman sounds Sidney Bechet-like on "La Notti di Cabiria"; and "Giuglietta Degli Spiriti" is gurgly free-improv that turns into a Latin dance. They are beautiful themes, and this set prioritises their sympathetic rendition.

Record Review /
John Fordham,
The Guardian (London) / 03. November 2011

There's nothing like a great accordion recording ¿ really. There's something inherently romantic and charmingly evocative about the Italian (or French) style of music . . . Jazz musician Richard Galliano shows this much-maligned and abused instrument at its best ¿ you know, recalling those enticing scenes of old-world cafés, lonely, narrow, meandering streets, and many moods of love and longing, that even in gaiety carries a melancholy undertone. And Galliano has chosen a master evocateur in Nino Rota, whose film music has captivated millions while memorably capturing all manner of moods, characters, scenes, places, and periods. Interestingly, the first sound we hear is not an accordion but a solo trombone (played by Galliano), intoning a mournful rendition of the famous theme from "The Godfather" . . . [a] program with one delightful take after another on Rota's unforgettable tunes and musical theme-paintings. One of the more affecting is the group's soulful, faithfully rendered "Love theme" from the "Godfather". And indeed, these interpretations are not "take-offs" but true tributes to Rota's original conceptions, so if you already know the music you will be able to easily get into the groove and appreciate whatever personal coloring and flavoring these fine musicians may offer . . . what about a really cool, jazz-flavored program of some of the best, most memorable music of our lifetime? Have I convinced you? Just let me say that this is an offer that you shouldn't refuse.

Record Review /
David Vernier,
ClassicsToday.com / 12. January 2012

He's a virtuoso whose musicianship is complete within itself, almost orchestral; he barely needs anyone or anything else, a bandleader or body of song, to carry out his vision. He can be dazzling with the simplest tune or the most complex . . . Mr. Galliano gives the melodies their prominence: what stays in your head after they¿re over are Rota's huge, beautiful, whistleable themes . . . it's imitative or impressionistic, approaching idealized notions of circus bands, 1950s New York jazz, the New Orleans jazz funeral . . . there is some real improvisation here and there on this record . . . it can be startling when it breaks out . . . both Mr. Galliano and Mr. Surman absolutely throw down, hesitating and teasing and letting you hear the whole sound of their instruments. Those are the places where the record comes into its own and establishes a unique identity . . . jumpy, precise and mischievous.

Record Review /
Ben Ratliff,
The New York Times / 23. January 2012

. . . [a] delightful CD from the world's finest jazz accordionist . . . The themes are mostly presented in a straight-forward way, without fancy arrangements, to highlight the terrific Rota melodies. Nobility and simplicity are qualities of the music that the performers bring out. Galliano chose musicians with a variety of cultural backgrounds. Reed player John Surman is an amazing British musician and freethinker . . . The album closes with a Galliano composition he intended to mediate between New Orleans and Italy and shows that Rota's music is truly universal.